The counting of votes for assembly polls in five states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana – began at 8 am today. The polls are seen as a major test of popularity of the BJP and the Congress which has been trying to bring all opposition parties under one roof ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The trends will start pouring in from 9 am and a clear picture is expected to emerge in all the states by 11 am. If the Congress manages to upset its dominant rival in these assembly polls, then it will be a big boost to the opposition for the Lok Sabha polls, while a good show by the BJP will energise its cadres and give a fillip to its hopes of retaining the power at the Centre in 2019.